


The Iron Knight: Fighting the Chonsario

by topdawg27



Series: The Iron Knight [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, BAMF Pepper Potts, BAMF Tony Stark, F/M, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark Friendship, Pepper Potts Is a Good Bro, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-02
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-28 14:26:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12608640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/topdawg27/pseuds/topdawg27
Summary: This is Phase 2 of the Iron Knight saga: Tony and Pepper's first adventure together.Tony is the Iron Knight and Pepper is his knight in training. When the village near Stark Keep is being held hostage by evil horsemen, it is up to them to save the helpless villagers.Character's internal monologues are show in italics.Sequel to The Iron Knight: Lord and Lady (previous work in this series). Please read the 1st part to understand this Story. https://archiveofourown.org/works/12511824/chapters/28488280





	1. The beginning of a beautiful friendship

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the delay with the first adventure. 
> 
> Thank you for the kudos and views on the previous work. 
> 
> I'm going to paraphrase RDJ's (All hail King Downey!) speech at the PCA 2017 and say, I write for you, Pepperony fans.

_You have seen my descent. Now watch my rising._

 

Pepper decided to put the past behind her. Lord Stark, Tony, had asked her to stay at the Keep, for as long as she wanted. And she wanted to stay. She would strengthen herself and go back to face Stane one day. But for now, she wanted some peace.

For a few days, she followed Jarvis and Magdalene as they performed their duties around the house. She was determined to be useful. Tony seemed to regard her as an unofficial tailor. She was given all sorts of clothes that needed repairs and patch ups, from trousers and shirts, to his gambeson.

Then he insisted she improve Magdalene's cooking skills as the woman had a reputation for cooking tough meat. She diplomatically guided Magdalene and her improved cooking was noted with pleasure.

After a week of tailoring and miscellaneous household activities, Pepper had had enough. She decided to corner Tony in his workshop during one of his nightly tinkering sojourns. She knocked on the workshop door cautiously and hearing no reply, entered. The workshop was lit by the powerful fire of the furnace.

The Iron Knight armor was mounted on a large rack. Tony was at the anvil, hammering away at a small, circular object. He was wearing a short-sleeved linen tunic that had somehow managed to escape Pepper's notice, as it needed darning. It was well worn across the chest and arms. He was so focused on his hammering, that she indulged in some staring.

The sight of his powerful arm muscles flexing and tightening as he raised and lowered the hammer with force, made Pepper feel extremely... warm in a pleasant way. His hair was plastered to his face as sweat fell from his brow. Her heart started to hammer in time with Tony hitting the anvil. She cleared her throat loudly, to get his attention and stop herself from ogling him any further.

He looked up, startled and then smiled with pleasure, lowering the hammer.

"Pep, Pep, what brings you to my lair? Come closer, I want to show you the latest iteration of my arc, that will give me a new power."

She wryly acknowledged yet another shortening of her nickname and moved closer. The circular object on the anvil, was a steel circle with the same triangular pattern as his existing glass lid. 4 metal cylindrical tubes ran from the circle.

"It looks like a piping network."

He grinned. "You are right. I'm going to replace the glass lid in my armor's breastplate, with this steel lid. Then I will solder the tubes to the underside of the plate and add connectors on the underside of my arm rerdbrace and gauntlets, such that the pipes from my chest are connected to my arms. This will allow me to funnel the flame to my palms. The free end of each tube will be attached to the palm of each gauntlet."

She exclaimed with wonder, "That way, you can shoot bursts of the blue flame from your palms! Instead of using the switch to open the lid and firing from your chest. Tony, you are a genius!"

He preened at her admiration and she giggled.

"Pepper, would you please help me with the soldering?"

"It would be my pleasure."

"You need to hold the armor firm while I solder in the new arc."

He moved to the rack, took the breast plate and placed it on the edge of the furnace. Pepper stood to the left of the plate while Tony stood at its right and heated up the solder rod in the furnace.

She held the plate down firmly as he began to cut out the old arc.

"Tony... I want your help in... with something delicate."

He looked at her curiously.

"I want to learn how to fight... how to use a sword, how to defend myself."

She went on nervously. "I do not want to impose on you but I think you are the best person to teach me. I have seen the way you fight and I want to learn..." she paused here.

"Pepper", he said gently, "Well bred ladies do not need to learn how to fight."

"Well, Tony, I'm not a well bred lady anymore. I'm a runaway. Stane's not going to let me just disappear. He will find me one day."

She then looked down at her hands and said quietly, "I don't want to be at his mercy. I want to be able to fight back."

He finished removing the glass arc and kept it aside. Then he placed the steel arc in the cut out area of the breastplate and began to solder it in place. Pepper held the armor down firmly as he slowly moved the rod.

_What was I thinking? A knight teaches his skills only to the apprentice he deems fit. Here I am a woman, asking a decorated knight to teach me how to fight._

He finished soldering and lifted the plate to the light, to inspect his work. The steel arc fit perfectly in the armor. He smiled, then sobered and looked at her thoughtfully.

"I've never had an apprentice to teach. Never wanted one. Too much responsibility."

She accepted the dismissal by nodding, trying to keep the disappointment from her eyes.

"But..." he said gruffly, "I understand your need to defend yourself. Bear in mind you cannot become a knight. You are too weak for a traditional steel or iron suit of armor. And I'm not too confident about your upper body strength. But I can teach you to fight to use a short sword to defend yourself."

She whooped with joy and impulsively hugged him, sweat and all. He was taken back and awkwardly patted her on the head like a dog.

"We will start tomorrow. At 8 am. I will prepare a training regime tonight. So go get some sleep, Pep. Tomorrow, you will be a knight in training ... well... a sort of knight. We can continue soldering tomorrow evening."


	2. Wild Rose

_Love is the flower you've got to let grow._

 

Tony took Pepper's training seriously. In her first class, he gave her a wooden training sword and a small round shield.

Every morning, from 8 to 11, they would train in the yard. They started with simple sword techniques, blocking, thrusting etc. He dug up a straw dummy from the workshop. After a week, she progressed to sword maneuvers.

Watching her move through the routines, Tony was impressed.  _She's an eager student and thorough at what she learns. I love her enthusiasm, I never expected it in one as ladylike as her._

Pepper swung her sword at the dummy with the correct form, making a deep slit in its belly. She heard the sound of applause. Jarvis and Magdalene had entered the yard quietly and seen her perform the routine. Tony came over to her, clapping hard, grinning at her with admiration.

"Well done, squire!" he exclaimed and patted her hard on the back. She nearly lost her balance but quickly recovered and smiled.

Her next challenge: sparring with Tony himself.

X-x-x

Winter was coming to an end and Tony was content. The snow was melting and he had made some significant improvements to his armor. He was also pleased with his pupil's progress. He never expected that taking someone under his wing, could give him so much satisfaction.

Teaching Pepper had filled him with a new sense of purpose. He felt as if he had fulfilled some part of his duty to his own mentor, Yin Sen, in some small way. While Pepper was not a master of the sword yet, she was no longer defenseless.

He was also happy with their growing friendship. It felt funny to be friends with a woman. He was used to being around women for a singular reason: bedding them. Once the pleasure was had, he left. But Pepper, there was something about her. Yes, he was attracted to her... very attracted. But he valued her company, her wit and her opinions, immensely.

One night, he and Pepper went on a nightly ride to the lake. They stopped on the hill near the lake, admiring the moonlit landscape, in a companionable silence.

He glanced at her as she bent in the saddle to pet Buttercup. Her health had improved significantly over the last few weeks. She was no longer starved and waif-like but had started to fill out in a most attractive manner. Her eyes had lost their dark circles. She was not defensive or nervous and was confident in her surroundings.

When she straightened and looked at him smiling, he was struck anew by how beautiful she was.

_My redheaded lady, I humbly thank whichever god sent you to me._

The dragon huffed at this. Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out a wild rose. He silently offered it to Pepper. She took the rose and sniffed it deeply. Then she looked at him tenderly, her eyes bright with happiness.

"Thank you, Tony... I've not seen a wild rose in a very long time."

_I plucked the flower, thinking how it resembled you. Your blooming in the face of adversity. Your interesting contrast of thorns and delicateness, of strength and softness. How rare a flower you are, in this barren land of snow._

But he couldn't tell her this. He was determined to take things slow. He did not want to break the good relationship they had.

_I want her, yes, who wouldn't? But for the first time in forever, I want more than just a roll in the hay. I want her admiration. I want her friendship._

She was going to say something when a loud yell disturbed the silence of the night.

X-x-x

The sound startled Pepper and Tony.

"What was that?" She asked.

They couldn't see anything clearly in the distance but they could hear the sound of horses and men shouting. The noise was coming from the east of the lake.

Pepper tensed and was going to urge Buttercup forward when Tony gently halted her.

"Remember your training. We can't go charging in there. We need to assess the situation."

"Right, right, we dismount and see what's going on from afar. Then we decide what to do." .

He nodded and they dismounted, then they both silently crept down the hill and towards the noise.


	3. Rescuing Hereweald

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chonsario - A 10th century Byzantine term used to denote light cavalry, used for scouting and raiding. They were also the first known instance of Hussars, 18th and 19th cavalry soldiers. Of course, I've taken some creative license and pulled them in my fantasy universe.
> 
> It is difficult to describe their beautiful uniform, so here's a picture (Source: Wikipedia):
> 
> wiki/File:Mus%C3%A9e_de_l%27Arm%C3%A9e_-_F%C3%A9vrier_2011_(8).JPG
> 
> Please type "Musée de l'Armée - Février 2011 (8).JPG" in Google to view the image.
> 
> YALDSON - A 15th century word literally meaning "the son of a prostitute."
> 
> Tony and Pepper meet an old, good friend here. In AU form.

_Set your life on fire. Seek those that fan your flames._

The foliage was thick, so Tony and Pepper could move around undetected. There were four men on horseback. They were circling something or rather someone.

A man who yelled "You fools think you are so brave, attacking me on horseback. Why don't you come down and face me?"

A horseman poked him hard with a pike and the circled man yelled in pain. The others laughed in mirth. One of them left the circle and stood to one side. The moon shone brightly, illuminating his face.

Pepper stared at the man, fascinated by his distinctive attire. He had a black short jacket, that had beautiful gold braids on the sleeves and on its breast. The same braid extended to his red trousers. He wore high, black, shiny Hessians and carried a long, thin, sabre. To top it all off, he wore a high, thick hat of bear fur and had a short-waisted over-jacket in red and black trim, perched jauntily over one shoulder. She had never seen anyone dressed like that before. He also made her shiver uncontrollably for some reason.

Tony was standing right next to her and she felt him tense. He was also staring at the man intently.

He muttered a single word angrily, "Chonsario".

She whispered in his ear, "Tony, do you know them?"

"No, but I know of them. They are cavalry soldiers from the snowy hills of Mount Moria. They are mercenaries that operate as a single, dedicated unit and are often employed by a overlord of an area. They are merciless raiders who destroy villages and kill for fun. They have no care for life."

He looked at her and she was shocked by the bleakness in his eyes. "I've seen their handiwork first hand and the destruction they leave behind. But I've never seen them around these parts. Who do they work for, I wonder."

Pepper nodded and then gasped as the lone horseman pulled out a long sabre and motioned for the circling to stop. They watched as the hapless man in the center, was pushed forward with the pike. He was broad, dark-haired and burly with a nasty cut on his forehead.

The mustachioed horseman, who Pepper felt, was the Captain, uttered in a thick, growling voice.

"Well, peasant fool, you were foolish enough to escape for help. We will show you what we do to escapees. After that, we will string up your carcass in the village as an example for others."

He then grinned maliciously, "No one will hear you scream. Start saying your prayers."

Two riders dismounted and withdrew their sabers as well. The burly man clenched his fists and struck a defensive pose.

"We can't let this happen." Pepper said, turning to Tony.

But Tony was not there.

_Where did he go?_

Just then, a loud whistling noise was heard echoing through the trees. The riders turned towards the noise.

A rider-less horse trotted into view.

_It's Balthazar but where is Tony?_

Then from the shadowed trees, she saw Tony silently throw his stabbing knife straight at one of the Chonsario. It hit him in the eye and he fell off his horse, screaming in pain. The riders who had been staring at Balthazar, turned to their fallen comrade.

Pepper tried to attract the attention of the burly man. But he was busy looking for a way to escape.

Another loud whistle was heard and Balthazar galloped back into the foliage.

"Catch that horse and find out who is calling him. I want his head!" The Captain ordered.

One horseman obeyed his order and rode after Balthazar. He disappeared behind the bushes. Then a loud scream was heard followed by a gurgling noise. Everyone tensed in anticipation. The soldier's horse returned to the group, the body of the soldier wrapped around its saddle.

The Captain trotted over to inspect the body. The soldier's throat had been slit. The injured horseman was still crying with the knife in his eye while his companion tried to clean his wound. Taking advantage of the chaos, the burly man was inching closer to the bushes where Pepper was hiding.

Then Tony burst into the clearing on Balthazar , riding straight for the Captain. Pepper saw the other horseman start to run back to his horse and decided to intervene.

"Hey!" she yelled thickly. "Come and face me, you fiend."

_I've trained for this... I am ready for this. I know what to do._

She assumed a defensive position, raised her shield and faced the horseman, who was on foot. He bared his teeth at her and charged. She countered his first blow with her shield, then hit him in the face with the hilt of her sword. He stumbled back and came at her sword, raised. Before she could react, the burly man ran into him and pushed him off balance. Then he picked up the fallen sword and stabbed the horsemen fatally.

He turned to stare at Pepper. "Thanks." she uttered weakly.

"Watch out!" he yelled and Pepper turned to see the injured horseman stagger towards them with his sword drawn. The burly man stepped right in front of Pepper and boxed the man squarely in the face. He was knocked out.

Tony and the Captain were still fighting on horseback. The Captain saw that he was outnumbered and rode away in haste. Tony didn't give chase but instead dismounted and came over to them.

"Are you all right, my good man?" He asked the burly man.

"Yes and thanks but no thanks for your help. I could have handled it." The burly man said surlily.

Tony chuckled good-naturedly at that. "Didn't seem like it, friend. The four idiots were ready to skewer you."

"Yes, well I was just biding my time. I had everything under control. I was just ... waiting to spring my attack." The man was clearly trying to show off.

Pepper asked curiously. "Why were they chasing you?"

The burly man glared at her and then glared at Tony. "What's it to you and milord here?"

He turned away angrily. "It's my cross to bear."

Tony said evenly, "You know who I am."

"Of course I do. You are Lord Stark, the owner of the Stark Keep. I've seen you before. You come once a year to meet our yeoman. Do you know who I am? No, I'm sure you don't, your lordship."

"Please call me Tony and I know you are the village furrier. Hereweald, is it?"

The burly man was nonplussed. Pepper covered her mouth to hide her giggle.

Tony grinned at her and continued "I remember you because the yeoman told me you got the most amusing nickname because of an infamous incident ... isn't it Happy?"

Hereweald turned brick red, clearly embarrassed. "Alright your lordship, if you are done mocking me, I'm leaving. I am on a mission."

"Wait, wait, tell us what happened Happy?"

Hereweald became serious and said "You seriously don't know? These Yaldsons have taken over the village. They came down the hills yesterday night and took us by surprise."

Pepper gasped.

He continued "No one knows for sure, what they want. They think we are hiding something, so they are holding our women and children hostage in the town center. The men have been rounded up and imprisoned in the town gaol. Their captain, the arse who just ran away, is going to kill a hostage every day until we tell him or show him what he wants. I managed to escape while my friends caused a distraction but they realized it and chased me. I was trying to get some help."

He paused. His eyes brimmed with tears. "My wife and son are in that barn. I need to save the village or or die trying."

Pepper was lost in thought.  _Stane did the same to my people. We were also unprepared. I wonder how many of my folk remain unharmed._

Tony voice broke her reverie.

"Happy, we are here to help you. Show us the lay of the village from the distance .so we can plan an attack."

Happy snorted rudely. "What will you and your squire do? It will take a miracle to save us. It will take an army to chase these raiders off. You got an army hidden away in your keep, your lordship?"

Tony calmly said, "Not an army. But ... will the Iron Knight do?"

Happy snorted again. "Sure, a ghost will save us. Get your knight and his mystical beast."

Tony smiled sagely. "He's a close personal friend and he will help us. Now take milady and I to the village, quietly."

"Milady?!"

This was Pepper's cue to dramatically push her hood off and shake out her hair. She enjoyed the look of shock on Happy's face.

"You are a lady but you fought and I ... I thought you were a lad." He gulped deeply. "I'm sorry, I swore so much in front of you."

She smiled graciously. "Pleasure to meet you, Happy. There's no need to apologize. What should we do with the injured horseman?"

They turned to view the unconscious horseman who was sprawled on the snow.

Happy picked him up over one shoulder and placed him on his horse. He then slapped the horse on the rump and it galloped away towards the village. "That solves that. Let his people take care of him."


	4. Preparing for Battle

_The Heart knows a thousand ways to speak._

Two hours had passed since Tony and Pepper rescued Happy from the Chonsario. They had observed the village, gone back to the Keep to collect the necessary items and had returned to the village's outskirts. They were waiting for Happy to join them.

Tony's thoughts were grim.

_They've got the women and children captive. Of course they would, those are the best bargaining chips. Why have the Chonsario come? This land is far away from their traditional hunting grounds. And what do they want with this village? This seems like an impossible battle. Normally, I wouldn't care if I live or die but with Pepper..._

He looked at her quietly. She was touching her new armor in awe. Tony had given her a chain mail chest hauberk and greaves. She had a small chain mail hood as well and carried her short sword.

He sighed.

_I tried to get her to stay behind. Of course, she didn't listen to me. But I must admit, her excitement is endearing. She really doesn't want to be the damsel in distress any more. I hope my training helps her. If something should happen to her... I don't want to think about that._

_Anthony, for a man who didn't want attachments, you seemed to be very attached to your squire_ , chortled the dragon. It was always happy before a battle. Perhaps it missed the feeling of going to war.

Tony took Pepper's hand and she looked at him, smiling.

"Pepper, you are going to be careful out there. No rushing into things. Please take care."

She nodded seriously.

_Don't frighten her, Anthony. She's going to be fine._

He put his hands on her shoulders comfortingly. "I am confident in your ability. Just be cautious and do not hesitate to strike." Then before he could help himself, he cupped her cheek.

She looked at him, eyes wide in her face, then smiled that impish grin of hers.

"You be careful as well, Tony. Don't use your new toys too much."

He chuckled at that. He was very eager to try his new flame gauntlets in the field.

The plan was simple: most of the Chonsario were in the middle of the village, guarding the town center. The entrance to the village was heavily guarded by an armored unit of horsemen.

Tony would take on these guards and draw the attention to him and Tigilath.

Happy and Pepper were going to sneak into the town center from the back entrance. Their aim was to get the women and children far away from the town. Magdalene would be nearby with the horse cart and sled, helping with transportation.

Happy came jogging over the lake, puffing heavily. He gave Pepper a skeptical glance.

"You are going to fight? You?"

She raised her sword in a mock threatening manner at him and he backed away.

"OK, someone's excited to fight. What about your mythical friend? Is he coming? Or did he see all the mustaches and get scared?"

Tony grinned. This man's snark is amusing.

"Yes, he is coming, the Iron Knight will come as planned."

Happy nodded. "Then should we start? Ten minutes from now, you and your knightly friend meet the guards. Me and ..." he looked at Pepper inquiringly.

"Pepper." she said.

"Pepper? OK then." He shrugged. "Me and Pepper will handle the town center and free the men after the women and children. Let's go, Pepper."

Pepper made to turn then Tony said quietly "May your blade meet every target true."

She smiled and said the same to him. Then with a wave of her hand, she followed Happy quietly towards the outer wall of the village.

_Time to suit up._


	5. The Battle - The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Battle scenes always exhaust me because I'm so busy trying to work out who goes where, what happens here, what's Pep doing, what's Tony doing etc. I scared the shit out of the lunch lady and some pigeons by acting out the fight scenes and sneaking around, in the space behind the lunch room.
> 
> Now I know Molotov Cocktails weren't around in this time period. But I needed a quick, easy flammable device. Plus, if it is good enough for Archer, it's good enough for Pepper.
> 
> I've added a very crude town guide diagram, just because building placement in text is not my forte and I don't want you good readers to get confused with my horrible directions.

_War, like children's fights, are meaningless, pitiless and contemptible._

 

__

 

Crouched low, Pepper followed Happy along the low wall that encircled the village. They were trying to reach the back entrance. Happy raised his head cautiously to peer at the gate.

There were just two guards, one at the gate and one by a nearby shed.

He looked at Pepper and gestured towards the shed.

Pepper nodded. Happy threw a pebble away from the gate. The guard noticed and moved towards the pebble. Pepper quietly stepped over the wall and moved towards the shed. She crept up behind the guard and covered his mouth with her chloroform rag.

It was Tony 's idea to use chloroform as a non-violent way to subdue the guards they encountered. The guard collapsed and Pepper propped him up against the shed. Happy joined her quickly, having subdued the gate guard similarly.

They stepped to the edge of the shed and looked around its corner, at the buildings.

Happy whispered in her ear. "The town center is that large building in the middle. To the left, is the winery and the apothecary. The stables are on the right."

There were four guards patrolling the back way of the town center.

Pepper said, "Let's wait for Tony's arrival. I mean, the Iron Knight's signal."

Happy looked at her pensively. "It's just you and me now. Your lordship is not here. Between us, is the Iron Knight really going to come?"

"Yes", she said firmly "and he will win this for us."

Happy shrugged. "I sure hope so."

X-X-X

The moon was high in the sky. The lightly armored guardsmen of the Chonsario, relaxed in the moonlight, pikes laid down beside them. They were confident in their might and strength. Besides, they were guarding simple villagers, who could never match their skill in combat.

One horseman felt a disturbance in the still of the night. He glanced at the tree-filled horizon. Something was moving through the bushes. He peered at the shadowed greenery.

A form appeared. A knight, clad from head to toe, in steel armor, as black as the night, sitting tall on a mighty war horse. He seemed to be bathed in an unholy blue light, emanating from his chest.

A beast, there was no other word for the abomination that it was, stood near him. It was neither horse nor hound. Its amber eyes glowed maliciously at them. It was covered in steel plates.

Man and beast came forward in unison, slowly inching towards the entrance. Silently and steadily.

The horseman opened his mouth to yell a warning but he couldn't as an arrow flew from the trees and hit him straight in the throat. He fell to the ground, gurgling in pain.

The garrison was alerted by now. They stared at the approaching trio.

Then the Knight spoke harshly, "Leave my lands, horsemen. This village is under my protection. Leave my people and I shall let you live."

The garrison stood their ground and raised their pikes threateningly.

The knight studied them silently for a moment, then unsheathed his curved sword and raised it to the skies. The beast started to roar.

"So be it. Face the wrath of the Iron Knight."

X-X-X

They heard a loud roar from some distance away.

"He's here", whispered Pepper. "With his beast."

Happy widened his eyes at that.

The patrolling guards became alert and started shouting to each other in their language. Then the Captain rode up.

Pepper shivered at the sight of him. Somehow he struck a note of deep fear in her heart.

_There is some hidden evil about him that I cannot see but I can feel._

The Captain rallied the men and said something firmly. It seemed to calm the men who stayed at their posts.

A young soldier came towards the Captain, carrying a large lance. The Captain exchanged the sword for the lance and rode towards the village's entrance.

_Towards Tony. Tony, I hope you can handle the many soldiers at the gate. Be safe, my lord._

"Now what?" whispered Happy, ruffled. "They aren't moving from their places."

Pepper gazed at the building on the left thoughtfully.

"Did you say one of those buildings is the winery?"

Happy nodded absently.

"What if we cause a distraction? Wine is flammable."

"You want to burn down the village?!" Happy whispered loudly.

"No! Happy! We create a contained explosion and the soldiers will run there. Then you enter the town center. I will follow."

"All right." Happy said worriedly. "I'll keep watch from here."

Pepper crept between the houses and carts to reach the winery. Its door was locked but the door of the house next to it, was open.

She entered the house and used the stairs to reach the roof of the building. Then it was a short jump towards the lower roof of the winery.

In the winery, she picked up some bottles of wine and stored them in her satchel. Then she climbed out of a window and sneaked back to Happy, who was looking at her as if she were mad.

"Erm.. Pepper... what exactly are we going to do with this wine?"

"Help me open them. Quick."

She tore her large napkin into small pieces. Happy opened a wine bottle and she poured half the wine out and dipped the cloth into the bottle.

"Once I light this, it can be thrown and will explode in a fiery blast. We can use it to distract the guards and move them away from the town center."

Happy was silent for a moment. Then he said gushingly, "Brilliant, simply brilliant. We need to split up for this. I will throw the bombs towards the guardsmen's rallying point. They've set up this ugly, huge banner in the town square. In all the commotion, you can sneak into the barn."

"Good. Remember, light the rag and throw the bottle away immediately, without spilling the wine. Do not hold it for long in your hand. You could get burnt badly."

Pepper stayed where she was and Happy crept towards the apothecary, which opened onto the town square. She waited and counted silently,  _1, 2, 3, 4, 5..._

X-X-X

Tony narrowed his eyes at the first of the Chonsario to challenge him.

He knew his Iron Knight entrance had frightened them initially but they were made of sterner stuff than most men and decided to test him.

Tigliath was in fighting form today and roared in warning at the approaching horseman. Tony had designed a special steel back plate and half helm for him, to protect him from the horsemen's pikes and lances.

 _Anthony, if you show them they should fear you, you will win half the battle. Show them why they should fear you._  whispered the dragon.

Tony nodded and whistled at Tigliath.

In the blink of an eye, the large cat dodged the horseman's pike and leapt onto his horse. He grabbed the horseman by the throat and pulled him off, snapping his neck.

The garrison seemed to take a step back at that sight.

Another one broke out from the formation and charged towards Tony.

_Hurrah! It's fire time!_

Tony focused inwards, channeling the flame until he felt it roar in his chest. Then he raised his gauntlet hand as the rider drew close to him. The rider raised his pike and Tony blasted him with blue flame.

The rider screamed, riding off wildly, horse and man in flames.

This time, the garrison took a definite step back. They whispered loudly amongst themselves. Their confidence was shaken.

Then Tony heard a loud blast and saw flames light up the center of the town. This alarmed the garrison and some broke away from the formation and rode backwards towards the area.

_Pepper, please be okay. If anything happened to you..._

X-X-X

There was a huge blast and she saw great flames of fire light up the middle of the town. The soldiers started panicking at this and ran towards the fire. She saw another blast and heard screams.

_I hope Happy is not going overboard with the wine bombs._

A solitary soldier remained at the town center. He was very scared and was babbling to himself. Pepper approached him confidently and he threw down his sword and ran away.

She smirked at that and ran towards the building. She hacked the wooden barricade at the door and opened it. She walked into the back of the hall and then towards the central hall. A large crowd of women and young children were sitting on the floor, huddled together as the hall was freezing. They stared at Pepper with fear.

"I'm here to help you escape. Follow me. Quickly." And she led them towards the back door.

X-X-X

Five down. Still a lot more to go. They were coming at him, one by one which helped.

Of course it could be due to Tigliath's aggressive herding strategy, where he kept charging at the garrison and keeping them in line.

Tony saw the garrison ripple as their damn Captain came to the front of the line.

_There is something inhuman about this man. Something otherworldly. Look at his eyes. They have no pupils._

The Captain said something in a commanding tone and 2 riders charged at Tony. An arrow came whistling out of the trees and hit one rider squarely in the chest.

Tony silently thanked Jarvis. It had been his idea to sit in nearby trees and shoot at the soldiers.

His sword clashed with the horseman's pike and he used a blast of flame to stun him. Then he neatly stabbed him.

The murmurs from the garrison grew louder. Tony took deep breaths as he took a mental stock of how many horsemen were there. It seemed as if the entire unit was here, watching him.

_The village must be empty. I hope they've managed to get everyone out._

_You are tiring, Tony. You must flee._ The dragon murmured.

_No, I can't. I can't let them be. Not until I get some sign that the villagers are safe. That Pepper is safe._

The Captain spoke then, in his snarling, thick tone, "You cannot fight forever, oh Iron one. Why do you fight for these peasant pigs?"

Tony countered "Why are you harassing these innocent people? What do you want with them?"

The Captain just grinned in an unholy manner. His mouth stretched so wide, the corners nearly touched his ears. Tony was taken aback. Rows of white, extremely pointed teeth were exposed. His eyes started to turn yellow.

"Why, my lord, it is you we seek."

 _This is no man, Anthony. This is something else entirely._  The dragon murmured.

_I cannot run. I will not. I'm prepared for my death._

Tony whistled at Tigliath to step back but the stubborn cat wouldn't listen and growled low.

The Captain started to trot forward slowly. The garrison moved behind him as one unit.

Tony closed his eyes briefly.  _This is my final stand, Dragon ..._

_So be it. I'm with you till the end._


	6. The Battle: The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hugs are a very nice way of expressing so many emotions through 1 simple act. There are soothing hugs, hugs of relief, hugs of joy etc. I had a friend who gave the best hugs, especially in times of sorrow. I miss her friendship and of all the little things about her, I miss her comforting hugs the most. She inspired the last paragraph of this chapter.

_Never lose hope, my dear heart._

_Miracles dwell in the Invisible._

Pepper stood on the low wall, trying to see what was happening at the village's entrance. The women and children of the town, were all at a safe distance from the village, hiding in the thick forest. Magdalene was fussing over them, handing out blankets and bread. No one was injured, they were just a little jittery from being locked up. The children had recovered quickly, the older ones already running around and playing.

There was no sign of Happy. She couldn't hear any more wine bombs, so maybe he had run out. She worried her lip between her teeth. Magdalene had this covered. She needed to see what Happy was up to.

She ran back to the town center, entered the building and cautiously, walked on to the town square. It was deserted.

_All the horsemen seem to be at the main entrance. What are they doing to Tony?_

Then she noticed Happy, peering at her from the stable.

"Psssst... Pssst... Pepper, come here."

She ran quietly to the stable door, he opened it and let her in.

She found herself surrounded by at least thirty men of all shapes, sizes and ages, standing in the stalls. They looked at her suspiciously.

Happy said indignantly, "Lads, this is the plucky female who saved our sorry behinds by giving me the wine bombs."

Pepper interjected, "She also freed all the women and children and they are safely hiding in the forest."

The men whooped at that and Happy let out a huge sign of relief. Pepper shushed them quickly.

"What are you all doing hiding in here? There's work to be done! Let's go."

The men stared at her askance.

Happy cleared his throat and said sheepishly "We are waiting for the Iron Knight to chase off those damn horsemen. Once the coast is clear, we will come out."

Pepper stared at him incredulously. "You mean to tell me, you grown men are hiding out here, away from the battle, waiting for the Iron Knight to do all the dirty work?! The entire garrison of horsemen is at the village's entrance, with that accursed captain of theirs. The Iron Knight cannot take them all on and survive!"

"Why not?" "He's not human, he is... let him take care of those pissants!" "Let's wait for the horsemen to leave." The mob started to talk all at once and Pepper saw red.

She yelled "Shut it, all of you, right now!"

That silenced them. Happy helped by making shushing noises and gesturing towards Pepper with his eyes.

Pepper pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to reason with them.

"I... I cannot talk about the Iron Knight. But he came here out of his own volition to help you out. He's right now facing all the horsemen and their Captain, alone. He needs our help. Whether spirit or human, he came to your aid and you owe him."

Still no one moved.

With a sinking heart, Pepper realized she wasn't going to get any help from these people.

_These people are too cowardly to face the horsemen. They are content to let the Iron Knight die fighting._ _The odds are impossible.  
I can't even tell him to run away. Tony, oh God, Tony, how are you going to survive this?_

She blinked away the sudden tears and squared her shoulders. "Fine. Hide here like the ungrateful, cowardly fools you are. I am going to help the Knight. He saved my life twice and I want to return the favor."

As she turned, Happy said haltingly, "Pepper, it is impossible to win. You will die. Don't go."

She looked straight at Happy and said "If we all fight at his side, they can be defeated. If we fight together... And since you don't want to, I am going. To die by his side, would be a noble way to die."

X-X-X

Jarvis started firing arrows rapidly, trying to hit as many horsemen as possible.

Tigliath seemingly chose the right side of the formation, so Tony grimly faced the Captain and the left side.

He closed his eyes briefly, concentrating hard.

_Noble Ryunn, bless me with your rage, your flame, your power, your passion. I am but a humble channel. Let your flame flow through me and burn away this pestilence._

He saw the dragon unfurl like a giant, red and blue, scaly, swirl of flesh. Swirling through him. The blue flame began to dance in him.

The dragon whispered,  _We may fall today but we will go out in a glorious blaze of war, not snuffed out like a tallow candle. Let the flame engulf those who harm the weak, who destroy lives, who wish to harm us._

He felt raw power of light and heat course through his veins. He raised both hands and fired blast after blast of blue fire, at the formation heading towards him. Then he veered to the left and rode straight into the formation, bypassing the Captain. He hacked away with his sword and felt blow after blow bruise him painfully but he didn't care.

He exited the formation and quickly rode up and down, just out of reach from the garrisons's left, trying to see if his efforts had made an impact on their numbers. It had worked... sort of. But there were still too many of them.

Then he heard the loud clanging noise of metal being hit, coming from behind him and he half turned.

The village's men were behind him, swords, picks, hoes and spades raised. They were led by a stocky man and a slight figure in chain mail with a satchel.

_Pepper. You came back for me._

The pure joy of seeing her behind him, seemed to ignite the dragon and him with new passion. Tony suddenly felt invincible. He roared, raised both hands and let out a powerful blast. The crowd behind him, gasped at the sight. Pepper yelled "Charge!" The villagers charged towards the garrison.

The horsemen were overrun by villagers, who finally seemed to outnumber them.

Tony headed straight for the Captain. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Pepper call Tigliath off the battlefield.

Tony charged at the Captain, sword raised. The Captain raised his lance and Tony swerved, avoiding the chest blow. The powerful lance glanced off his shoulder. It hurt, even through the armor but Tony gritted his teeth and stabbed at the Captain with force.

He dodged the blow and swung the lance sideways, striking Tony. Tony fell off Balthazar but quickly stumbled to his feet.

He raised his arm and blasted the Captain. The Captain's horse reared. Then through the flames, Tony saw the Captain leap at him, eyes glowing, lance pointed straight at him. He moved to the left, very narrowly avoiding the lance, feeling it scrape his helmet as it moved.

As the Captain fell forward, Tony swung his sword at his back, cutting him badly. As the Captain tried to stagger to his knees, Tony stabbed him in the stomach. The man or whatever he was, still grinned evilly and whispered "You are everything the Orb said and more. My master will be so pleased. Lord Stark, you have been judged." Then he fell over, dead.

For a moment, Tony was stunned.  _What... What was that? His master? Orb? What?_

He looked around. Most of the horsemen were dead. The few that survived, were riding hard towards the hills, fleeing for their lives. The villagers were hammering some hapless stragglers.

 _Time to leave, Anthony_  said the dragon firmly.

Tony whistled and Balthazar came over. He checked him quickly for any injuries and found none. He whistled louder again. He was immensely relieved when Tigliath padded over to him. He passed his hands over the cat's furry belly and legs, noting some cuts but nothing major. Tigliath seemed fine and licked his hand soothingly.

Then Tony realized he had an avid audience. The villagers had gathered around and were staring at him in wonder. They wouldn't approach him, he was confident of that.

He heard and then saw Pepper move rapidly through the crowd and then run towards him. She came to a grinding halt close in front of him. He was slightly disappointed she didn't embrace him but then he told himself, _she can't do that in front of the villagers_. She smiled at him tiredly, relief clear in her blue eyes.

He whispered "We need to make a move. We can come back later, when I am Lord Stark."

She nodded and mounted Balthazar. He mounted after her and was going to turn his horse, when Happy broke through the crowd.

He raised his fist and yelled "Huzzah for the Iron Knight for saving us!"

The villagers did the same, yelling hoarsely.

Tony raised a hand in acknowledgment.

Happy continued, " and Huzzah for Lady Pepper who saved our womanfolk!"

Again the villagers echoed the sentiment with gusto.

Pepper blushed with pleasure and murmured her thanks.

The villagers watched them ride away, still cheering loudly.

X-X-X

At the Keep, between the poultices and armor removal and tending to Tigliath's cuts and Magdalene's fussing, Tony and Pepper did not get a chance to talk. Evening came because the battle had raged throughout the night and through the morning. Pepper entered Tony's room.

He was sitting on a stool by the fireplace, pressing a warm poultice to his gashed shoulder. He smiled warmly at her. She smiled back at him, then saw his helmet on the bed. She picked it up and with a slender finger, traced the deep scratch left by the lance. Her forehead furrowed with worry and she put the helmet down.

Before Tony could say something, Pepper bent slightly and hugged him around his head tightly. He felt her soft hair and face pressed to his. She murmured something intelligible and inhaled deeply. He inhaled deeply as well, filling his lungs with her unique scent. The dragon sighed loudly inside him. He couldn't raise his hands, so he nuzzled her face back. His beard must have tickled her, for she giggled and let him go.

He made a face at her withdrawal and she laughed sweetly. Then she patted his head, just like she would do for Tigliath and turned to leave. As she reached the door, she turned and said quietly, looking at him with moist eyes, "I'm happy you are fine, Tony. I worried about you today, when you faced those horsemen alone. I'm really happy you are fine." She left and he stared at the door in wonder.


	7. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the battle is over. Phew!
> 
> Four more chapters left to go in this adventure. Fluffy ones. Knight Tony and Lady Pepper deserve some fluff.
> 
> There's a quote from a literary classic in here.
> 
> Thanks for reading!

_Life is a balance between holding on and letting go._

There were a number of Chonsario prisoners. They had been locked up in the village gaol after the battle. However the next day, when lunch was brought for them, the villagers found all of them dead in their cells. The mystery was how. No one had entered or left the gaol since they were imprisoned.

Tony visited the gaol and examined a horseman's body. He realized they had swallowed poison hidden on their person. He informed the villagers who had been coming up with superstitious reasons for their sudden demise.

Tony kept his grim thoughts to himself.

_What sort of soldiers would voluntarily kill themselves for losing a battle? More over, what sort of master do they have, that death is better than facing his wrath?_

A more horrifying fact was that the body of the Captain was nowhere to be found. Who could have taken it and why?

X-X-X

The battle with the Chonsario, changed the way the villagers felt about Tony. Suddenly he wasn't the lofty Lord of the Keep anymore. He was a nobleman, yes, but one who cared about them. They felt guilty for thinking bad about him and wanted to make amends.

For the next few days, while Tony nursed his gashed shoulder and bruised limbs, the Keep was inundated with gifts from the village, in the form of food, furs, trinkets, furniture, even geese. While Tony, Pepper and Jarvis were delighted with the rich cheeses, smoked meats, wine and other delicious food items, Magdalene was miffed. She was envious of the village women's cooking skills.

But even she thawed when the village women invited her for their weekly cookoff. Pepper was invited for even more events and get-togethers. At first, she declined out of shyness. But their friendliness won her over and soon she, Jarvis and Magdalene started making trips to the village nearly every day.

She worried that Tony would feel left out. Indeed, the villagers still regarded him as a lord and one couldn't just invite a lord to simple village gatherings. Luckily, there was a birth in the village and invitations were sent for the christening. The villagers felt shy about making the first move, so Pepper did it for them, cutely inviting Tony to the yeoman's firstborn's christening.

Tony hemmed and hawed and put up a fuss but he showed up for the ceremony, albeit a tad late and even gave the child a gift: a tiny horse carved from sandalwood. He also gifted the couple, a silver goblet. The villagers ooooed and aaaed at the generosity of Lord Stark. Pepper was pleased. Tony was a good man and it was time the village learned it. It was also good for Tony. She hoped socializing with others would pull him out of his self-imposed exile. She had seen the man behind the Iron Knight and she believed in him.

x-x-x-x

They found a new friend in Hereweald, aka Happy. He came to the Keep, two days after the Battle, hoping to see more of Tigliath, who he was fascinated with. If he suspected that Tony was the Iron Knight, he never let showed it. He simply accepted Tony's explanation that he was Tigliath's caretaker for the Iron Knight.

He came over to play with the big cat, the next day as well and watched Tony supervise Pepper's sword routines. Then he casually suggested that he could show them some boxing moves, if they were interested. They were.

Few moves became one lesson, one lesson progressed into two and soon, Happy was at the Keep, at least once a week. He really got along well with Tony. They both liked to spar with each other and teach each other fighting techniques.

He was also eager to see Tony's new inventions and tricks. He and Pepper showed Tony their wine bomb and Tony solemnly agreed, it was an impressive way to frighten an enemy.

Happy was no longer snarky around them and his nickname seemed to suit him well. He was a jolly, burly giant who was always ready with a smile and a joke. He was a little shy around Pepper, because as Tony mischievously told her, Happy was slightly enamored of her. But Pepper did her best to put him at ease.

x-x-x-x

One night, Pepper had a bad dream.

It was a sunny day and she was at a picnic. Her mother was laying out food. Her father tossed a piece of bread to his hounds. Her mother scolded him. He laughed and winked at Pepper. It felt so good to see him again. Her mother smiled at her and said "What a good girl you are, Pepper."

Pepper abruptly stood up and walked away from the picnic, towards the forest.

"Come back, Pepper".

"I'm coming, Mother" she said and turned.

But they weren't there anymore. The sky had turned black. There was only darkness.

All that was left of her father was a pile of dust. And in her mother's place, was a necklace. Not just any necklace.

The Necklace of Summa. Glowing orange and red.

She reached out to touch it.

Suddenly a gnarled claw gripped her wrist hard. Its grip burned her flesh. She looked up to see Stane, so close to her face, his eyes black and pupil-less. He grinned at her, his smile widening in an inhuman manner, almost ear to ear.

"Virginia, this is mine and you are mine as well."

She screamed but no one came to help her. "And no one would come." laughed Stane.

Pepper jerked upright in her bed, body sweating, sheets tangled around her legs. Her heart was pounding.

 _I haven't seen my father in a dream for so many years. And Stane..._  she shuddered.  _Can he see into my mind? Does he know where I am?_

She swallowed hard, her throat too dry.  _Perhaps a drink of water would help._

She walked down to the kitchen, only to see Tony, resting his head on the counter. An open bottle of wine was next to him. He appeared to be asleep.

 _Do not wake him up._  she warned herself.

She reached for the wine and Tony raised his head. He looked at her with slightly watery eyes. "Pepper..." he said dazedly. "What are you doing up so late?"

Then he hiccuped. It was so cute that Pepper giggled loudly.

"Glad I've amused milady somehow. What you be doing in my lair here?" He murmured.

"Are you drunk, Tony?"

"Naaaahhh ... wellllll.. perhaps slightly tipsy. Me and Happy were having a drinking competition and I won." He gestured behind him and Pepper saw Happy sprawled on the kitchen floor, mouth open. He started to snore.

Tony murmured darkly, "The man snores like 10 bears... wait, make that 50 bears. Can't snooze in peace with that racket."

Pepper was taken aback by the very relaxed, carefree expression on his face. Then he started to sway gently.

"My lord, I think you have had quite enough." and she took the bottle away.

"Killjoy woman. Why are you up anyways?" He rubbed his eyes. "Couldn't sleep?"

"No, Tony, I... I just couldn't sleep. I couldn't sleep..." The nightmare came back to her.

_My mother. The necklace of Summa. My mother._

He looked at her intently. "Want to talk about it?"

She shook her head.  _It's too fresh in my mind. Besides I don't want to explain the necklace to him. Not now. I can't._

Tony gaze had darkened.

"Was it about Stane?" He growled out.

She nodded in affirmation. His jaw tightened and he looked at the fireplace. Then he got off the stool and came towards her. He placed his large hand on her shoulder and rubbed it in comfort.

She smiled softly and tilted her head, such that her cheek touched his hand. It felt right somehow.

They stood like that for five minutes in silence. Then Tony murmured "Pepper, go back to sleep. The nightmare won't come back."

"No!" She said in fear. "I ... I am scared" she whispered more to herself than Tony.

"Come, I shall sit with you till you sleep. The nightmare won't come back."

They walked to her room together. Pepper lay down and Tony pulled up a stool beside her. He caught her hand in his and murmured soothingly. His flame arc was visible through his thin shirt and the blue light comforted her in the darkness. She began to close her eyes.

It was not dark anymore. She drifted into sleep, still feeling the gently caress of Tony 's thumb on her hand.

The next day, she found a small package on her bedside table. Its note read "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light. Here's a light that will never go out."

She opened the package to find a small, oval stone. It was the size of an apple. It glowed beautifully with a blue light. There was a dark blue orb in its depths and the light would throb and wane but not fade.

She turned it over to see the words  _for pep from ts_ engraved on it. Then she remembered Tony telling her once, that he could transfer small amounts of his flame to other objects. She cradled the orb, watching the flame glow, as if it was trying to reach out to her.


	8. Spring is Here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marvel, Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
> 
> So all I'm doing with this story is flattering your depiction of Iron Man. I don't own anything.
> 
> Any comments on Happy's introduction to this AU? come on... do you like it or loathe it? Let me know, don't be shy.
> 
> Pepper wears this lovely dress from https://armstreet.com/store/medieval-clothing/fantasy-dress-lost-princess

_I once had a thousand desires, but in my one desire to know you, all else melted away._

Spring was finally here.

Pepper beamed with happiness as the next day dawned clear and bright. The flowers would be in bloom, trees would be green, the sun would be shining.

She freshened up quickly and ran down to the drawing room, anxious to waste no time on this glorious day. Two women from the village were talking to Magdalene animatedly. When they saw Pepper enter, they broke off to exclaim, "Oh Lady Virginia, you must convince Maggie here. Oh, you all must come!"

"Come but come where?"

"We are having a Spring fair tomorrow at the lake. It's an annual celebration of spring. There will be stalls, cooking, an archery contest and dancing..."

"Dancing!" Pepper reacted with joy. "Dancing!" she clapped her hands together excitedly. "Of course we will be there."

Magdalene grumbled "I suppose we have to cook something for the fair."

A woman replied "Oh yes, everyone is expected to bring something. Lunch is a pot luck you know."

Magdalene muttered something under her breath and Pepper said laughingly, "We will definitely bring something and attend the fair as well."

The women left happily.

Pepper turned to Magdalene. "Isn't this exciting? I haven't been to a fair for so long! Yaaaaah!"

Magdalene cracked a smirk at Pepper's excitement. "All righty, what should we cook for the lucky pot?"

"Pot luck. Shoulder of lamb or a nice rabbit stew? Maggie, forget the food. What should we wear?"

Magdalene looked nonplussed. "What we wear everyday, of course. What else would we wear?"

Pepper huffed in exasperation. "We can't wear these ordinary clothes to a fair! The entire village will be there and we are Lord Stark's people. We have a reputation to uphold!"

Magdalene looked pensive. "I understand but I do not know if we actually have anything suitable."

Tony stood in the doorway. He had heard the entire conversation and could see that Pepper was very excited.

_She needs this. She's been cooped up here for too long. I better make sure she goes._

He turned and ran to the East Wing. He had a surprise for Pepper.

X-X-X

In the afternoon, Magdalene and Pepper searched anxiously through multiple trunks for something suitable to wear. There was nothing suitable, just as Magdalene said, and Pepper resigned herself to wearing her standard brown tunic.

But after dinner, when she retired to her room, she found a dark blue, cotton dress on her bed. It has a tight, tailored bodice and charming puffed sleeves with a triangular, low neckline that exposed a sewed-on chemise underneath. The bottom edge of the dress and the high, tight cuffs were decorated with a mosaic trim. It was so daintily pretty.

She touched it reverently.

She called Magdalene, who didn't know whose dress it was and where it came from. But she cajoled Pepper into wearing it anyway.

As she left Pepper's room, Magdalene saw Lord Stark standing in his room's doorway. She smirked at him and he raised his eye brows at her.

She whispered conspiratorially, "Lady Maria's dress will look beautiful on Pepper, milord. The blue will suit her delicate coloring and highlight her hair. You have good choice."

He flushed and she added, "But she's going to be the belle of the fair, so you better come along to chase away her admirers."

She cackled and left the flustered Tony.

X-X-X

The morning of the fair dawned. Tony had conveniently disappeared. Jarvis told Pepper, he had to run some errands urgently. Pepper was not surprised but she was disappointed. She wanted to experience the fair with Tony.

But Magdalene was coming with her and it was going to be fun anyhow.

X-X-X

In the early afternoon, Tony walked to the lake. He could see that the fair was in full swing. The brightly colored stalls, children laughing, hawkers shouting... he could smell the delicious aromas of mince pies. He went to the pie stall first.

After scoffing down 3 delicious pies for free ( the hawker refused to take money from the village's savior), he decided to find Pepper. He wanted to see her in her new dress.

 _In your mother's dress..._  the dragon murmured sarcastically.

_It is hers if she wants it. But wait, you are right, Pepper needs to get some new clothes. She's just wearing my paramours leftover clothes. But she won't take any money from me..._

Coincidentally he stopped in front of a milliner's stall. There were a number of dresses and materials on display.

 _Should I buy a dress for Pepper?_  He wondered.

Then he thought how it would seem to the milliner if he, the Lord of the Keep, bought a dress for an unmarried, young woman staying in his house and one who was not related to him in any manner. He mulled it over and finally, had an epiphany.

He took the milliner aside, who was agog with glee, that Lord Stark was at her stall first. He suggested in a sotto voice, that Magdalene and Pepper's birthdays were coming up and that the milliner should visit the Keep next week. She should take any order that the ladies would desire and he would pay her a lumpsum amount right now. Tony left the milliner, satisfied. Hopefully the inclusion of Magdalene would counter any objections that Pepper would definitely have.

He whistled merrily as he strolled leisurely towards the large plain in the center of the fair. Townspeople greeted him cheerfully as he passed by. He saw Happy sitting under a tree, holding his sleeping son. Happy's wife was busy nearby, talking with a group of ladies. He gestured at Happy, who noticed and quietly crept away from his wife's circle.

He came towards Tony, whispering, "Thanks for saving me, I was going out of my mind. We can roam around but we must be quiet, Hereweald the IInd must not wake up at any cost."

Tony nodded and whispered "I'm looking for Pepper, have you seen her anywhere?"

Happy smirked at him and said quietly, "I have and I can take you to her but you are not going to like what you see."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Follow me, your lordship, to the dance floor."

He led Tony to the flat grassy plain on which a number of couples were dancing in the fresh, spring air. There was a giant May tree in the center and its blossoms would gently fall on the dancing couples below, with the passing breeze. The village troupe was playing a slow, dreamy song. It was an extremely picturesque landscape.

Tony gleefully ribbed Happy. "Happy, did you bring me here to have a romantic dance? Oooo, I am so honored..."

Then he broke off abruptly.

Time stood still. The dancers froze, the wind stopped, even the falling blossoms froze mid air. The music faded away. He could smell lilies and vanilla. He had eyes only for the center of the grassy plain.

Dancing in the middle, open hair billowing gently in the breeze, daisy wreath charmingly tilted to one side of her regal head, was Pepper. Her lips were curved in a sweet smile, her svelte frame gracefully moving in motion to the song. The dress... the way it hugged her curves and made her red hair radiant.

 _You were right, Anthony,_  the dragon said softly, _the dress does look beautiful on Lady Virginia or... is it the other way around? By the way, have you noticed whom she's dancing with?_

Then Tony's vision turned crimson. Time abruptly started again, this time in fast forward. The music became very loud to Tony's ears.

Pepper was dancing with the village's moneylender, a very handsome, tall, blonde man with blue eyes, broad shoulders and a firm jaw. He whispered something in her ear and she threw her head back and laughed, blue eyes sparkling with mirth.

 _They make a good looking couple. You have done right by her, Anthony._  The dragon chuckled sarcastically.

The moneylender pulled Pepper closer to him and Tony took an angry step forward.

_I'm going to tear him limb from limb. I'm going to cut him into two neat halves with my sword and then I will..._

"Wait, wait, Tony, calm down. Why are you so angry? She's just dancing." said Happy soothingly, holding his wrist.

Tony blinked. He had no idea he had spoken out loud. He blinked again hard, trying to force the rage from his mind.

"Tony," Happy said gently. "She's just dancing with the guy. It does not mean anything. Why don't you cut in and dance with her?"

_I may be old but I still act like a young fool, in love with something he can't have, jealous when someone takes it away from him._

_Wait... did I say in love?_

The dragon sighed exasperatedly. _Yes, Anthony, you are in love. Just accept it and do something about it. Go cut in._

Happy was saying the same thing.

But Tony wasn't listening to either of them.

_She seems so happy dancing with him. And what am I to her? The one who nearly raped her. That horrible fact aside, she deserves to be free and chose whomever she wants. I should let her be free. And I don't love her. She's just a friend, that's all. So I don't care whom she dances with._

He turned and walked away blindly from the plain.  _I really want to hit something now. Anything._

Happy followed him, shaking his head ruefully.

 _Ah... to be young and foolish._  crooned the dragon mournfully.

_I'm not young and you'd better shut it, you._


	9. Lady's Favor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note at the end of the chapter to prevent spoilers

_Love is the whole thing. We are only pieces._

When the song stopped, Pepper, flush with exertion, made her excuses to Aland and walked away from the dance plain. She needed a drink badly.

She had been dancing for two hours straight, first with Aland, then Byram, then Clifton and then again with Aland. Each man more charming and attractive, than the last. Aland particularly stood out in her mind, for he made her laugh with his sparkling wit and conversing style.

 _It felt so good to dance again. But the man I really wanted to dance with, is hiding in his keep, tinkering with his precious armor. Typical Tony._ She mused wryly.

_I wanted to see that infamous Lord Stark charm, that Magdalene keeps talking about. The knight of the realm, with the glamorous lifestyle of the King's court. Oh well, another time perhaps._

She looked around for Magdalene and saw her moving towards the copse of trees, where the archery contest was being held.

Magdalene waved at Pepper and gestured her over. "Milady Pepper, come quick, you must not miss Lord Anthony's turn in the archery contest."

 _What, he came! Why didn't I see him?_  She picked up her skirt and ran to Magdalene, who had managed to jostle her way to a prime viewing position. The competition was already underway.

Pepper stood next to her, slightly on tip-toe and watched as the archers lined up, Tony being one of them. He was at the farthest end of the lineup. She couldn't see him very clearly but she knew it was him.  _No one else stands as straight as him._  She could see Happy tensely waiting behind Tony, holding arrows.

The yeoman started the countdown and at the end of it, the archers shot their arrows towards the target dummies, at least 8 meters away.

All arrows hit the dummies but only two had hit them straight in the head. Pepper held her breath as the judges decided who would progress to the final round. The crowd cheered wildly as two names were announced: Tony and Byram.

The remaining contestants left the field and Tony and Byram walked towards Pepper's end of the arena. Pepper started as she could clearly see Tony now. He was not wearing his customary all-black garb but instead, was clad in a white, full-sleeved shirt with laces at the collar. Over it, he wore a dark grey vest, decorated with thread knots and laced tightly across his chest. High, black boots and black trousers completed his ensemble.

Then she gasped as she noticed he had trimmed his beard very neatly. The beard was now cut close to his face, highlighting his beautiful profile. He had shorn his shaggy mane as well, it stopped just above his shirt collar. He had always reminded her of a shaggy lion with his deepset, wide brown eyes, long beard and aquiline nose but now he looked magnificently male and handsome and virile... a lion in its prime. She couldn't stop staring at him as he turned to say something to Happy.

_I want to touch it so badly. His beard, his hair._

She blushed deeply as she imagined Tony standing perfectly still, like a big cat, while she stroked her fingers through his freshly cut hair. And rubbed her knuckles over his trimmed, bearded jaw.

_I have to wonder, would his hair be prickly or soft, since he trimmed it? Even his beard, will it still tickle my fingers? One thing I know for sure, his lips would still feel soft and warm, in contrast to the straight short hairs above them._

The yeoman's loud declaration of the start of the next round, roused her from her sensual thoughts. The target was a clay disc that would be shot from a sling. The archers had to hit the disc hard enough to pierce it and make it fall to the ground. A special steel tipped arrow was handed to Byram and Tony each. They would go in turns. The first archer to successfully knock down the disc would win.

Byram went first, the disc was released and his shot was wildly off target. The crowd signed with disappointment.

Tony was next. His shot was on track but narrowly missed the disc. The crowd sighed again.

Pepper mentally cheered Tony on.  _He will hit it the next time. I'm sure of it._

The second round began. This time Bryam's shot struck the disc and the crowd gasped. But it didn't pierce it. The disc was just knocked off course.

Pepper held her breath as Tony pulled his bow string back and stared intently at the sky. The disc was released. He waited, waited and fired. The arrow hit the disc and it fell to the ground, pierced by the disc.

The crowd went wild, cheering madly. Bryam sportingly shook Tony's hand. Tony was surrounded by well-wishers. Pepper tried to call out to him but he couldn't hear her over the noise of the crowd.

_I will meet him back at the Keep and congratulate him then. Let him bask in the crowd's adulation._

She saw the yeoman approach Tony with the prize, a small gold medallion. He placed it around Tony's neck. The crowd clapped wildly and Tony motioned for them to stop.

He cleared his throat and said "I thank you for your hospitality and your wishes. But I dedicate this prize to the fair maiden who blessed me with her favor before the contest. It is thanks to my lady's blessings, that I am the victor."

The crowd started shouting out names of the village's maidens, trying to guess who had given Tony, their favor. Pepper heard her name being called out as well.

_But I didn't give him my favor. I would have if I knew he was here and was participating in the contest. Could there be another maiden? Who is she?_

Tony smiled at the crowd's guesses and then beckoned to someone standing behind Happy. A little girl with a veiled face, walked over hesitantly to him, wringing her hands. She was at least 8 or 9 years old. The crowd hushed and then a loud murmur could be heard.

Pepper realized why. She had heard of this girl, Héloise, who had been badly burnt in an accident. She wore a veil to hide the burn marks on her face. The village children avoided her, scared of her appearance. Even some adults shunned her.

Tony picked her up in his arms and she giggled with joy. He then raised his left arm, displaying a bright red kerchief tied around his elbow. Héloise plucked it off and tied it around her own arm. Tony let her down and knelt on one knee.

"My lady Héloise, I am eternally grateful for your favor in battle. My victory is yours. Kindly accept this token of my gratitude."

He took the medallion off and gently placed it around Héloise's neck. She touched it in awe and smiled at him sweetly. The crowd loved it and whooped with delight. Héloise ran back joyfully to her parents.

Pepper stood still, stunned by Tony's gesture. It was so... sweet and touching. So simple.

Then she pushed through the moving crowd to reach Tony but when she got to the archery plains, he was nowhere to be found. She huffed with impatience and resolved to catch him at the Keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony wears  
> http://www.medievalboutique.com/vest-and-doublets/3339-knight-jacket.html
> 
> I've tried to twist the Iron Man dance scene where Tony sees Pepper in the backless dress. What if Pepper had been dancing with someone else?  
> Also what if Pepper is the one who ogles Tony. Why shouldn't she, he's a very attractive man, perfectly logical to stare at him.
> 
> Men and their beards. I love touching a man's beard when it has been cut.  
> However, in my personal experience, men get bad tempered on the day they trim their beards. Just saying.


	10. To Dance With You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is it about dancing cheek to cheek, with that someone you love, that is so romantic? Is it the music, the motion of the dance or the intimacy of the act? Finally, Tony and Pepper have their dance in the moonlight.

_Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along._

 

* * *

 

Pepper returned to the Keep with Magdalene by early evening, before it got too dark. Jarvis was waiting for them, with a light, cold supper. They ate and Pepper retired to her room, saying she was exhausted from the fair. But in truth, she was actually pacing. 

 

She had not seen Tony after the archery contest. He had disappeared into the cheering crowd with Happy. 

 

_No doubt, the happy villagers must have been anxious to ply his lordship with drink, to celebrate his victory,_ she thought sourly. _He must be reveling away the night, sozzled._

 

She looked at her time keeper and noted it was midnight. She lay down and closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep. Just then she heard a noise coming from Tony's room. She crept out of bed and opened her door. She could see light coming out from under Tony's door. She heard him moving around in his room.

 

She closed her door and smirked to herself. _Finally, the victorious one returns._

 

Then she heard Tony's door creak open and soft footsteps on the landing. _He must be going downstairs for some food._

 

But instead of descending the staircase, they seemed to be heading in the other direction. 

 

_Where is he going? Ooooh, he's going to the East Wing! I must follow him._

 

Pepper was so curious as to what was in the East Wing, that she didn't think twice. She hurriedly wore her white overcoat and her thin slippers, all the better to sneak around in, and picked up her candlestick. The lamp would cast too much of a shadow. Then she quietly went towards the East Wing.

 

The door to the Wing was unlocked and pushed open. She hurried inside. The door opened into an archway, that led to a narrow long corridor. The roof was leaking, the whole pathway was damp and Pepper wrinkled her nose at the musty smell of mold. There were large holes in the floor and she looked down as she walked carefully. There was portraits lining the corridor.

 

_Tony's ancestors. A gallery of Starks and ... Carbonnel? Could be his mother's maiden family._

 

The corridor ended at a landing with three rooms. The first room seemed to be the largest, as it had an entire side of the Wing and the other two doors were sharing a side. There was light coming from this room, so she quietly opened the door and stepped in. 

 

To her surprise, it was a long, wide, salon with wooden flooring. There were two large windows, with heavy, closed draperies and a large, glass chandelier in the center of the salon. A large wooden side table, the length of the room, was laden with cutlery and silverware. The room had fallen into serious disrepair, from large patches of mold on the floor, to the thick dust on the drapes and cobwebs luxuriously draping the silverware. A large lamp was lit on the table.

 

Pepper wondered, _So that explains the light, but where is Tony?_

 

Then she heard something behind her and turned rapidly, raising her candlestick high. 

 

"Oi, Pepper, it is me, Tony! Don't hit me with that again." Tony stepped out from the darkness, shielding his face.

 

She gasped loudly, "Phew! It is only you! You scared me, Tony... what are you doing here?" 

 

_He was still wearing the clothes that he wore to the fair. So he's come straight to this room._

 

"I would also like to ask, what are you doing here? You should be asleep, instead of wandering the house like a ghost, clad in flowing white."

 

He moved past her, stepped close to the large window and looked outside, absently. She came to his side. From this Wing, the view was of the back of the Keep, the lake in the distance. There was a full moon high in the sky. 

 

"We don't need the lamp for light. If we opened the drapes and windows, the moonlight would stream into this room so beautifully. " She said softly, glancing at Tony. 

 

He shrugged and said "There's no need for that. I was just leaving and you are leaving too." He moved then, towards the door. 

_He seems ... angry? No, pensive, but tense... why? Do I want to do this right now? When he's like this? Wait a minute, yes, I do. If I back away now, he will never let me in here again._

 

She said aloud, "Not so fast, your lordship. You owe me a dance."

 

He turned quickly at that and blinked at her.

 

"Yes, you do. I never thought you'd come for the fair and when you finally did, you were too busy celebrating your victory." She saw his eyes flicker with some emotion at that, "I saw you win the archery contest. Well done, Tony." 

 

"Well, Pepper, you didn't seem to be lacking in dance partners. I'm surprised you noticed my absence."

 

_Ah, someone was watching me dance._ She smiled mischievously. He reddened slightly at his slip.

 

"You could have cut in, any time, Tony. I wanted to dance with you."

 

"Why?" he asked her, his eyes, soft whiskey brown in the lamp light.

 

She tilted her head and answered sincerely, "Why not? We've been sparring partners, we fight together, you trust me to take care of your wounds, I wanted... I wanted to dance with you. I love dancing. Yes, I had many dance partners, but... I was waiting for you, Tony." 

 

She bit her lip. "Can't we dance here? In this beautiful salon? Please..."

 

He said thoughtfully, "There is no music, Pepper."

 

"We don't need music. I can hum a decent tune. We can open the drapes for light."

 

He looked down at his feet and said gruffly, "I haven't danced in a very long time, Pepper, I'm very rusty and will definitely step on your toes." 

 

She had one last trick up her sleeve. "You owe me a favor, Tony. Remember I won the bet and the loser has to do whatever the winner says for one day."

 

He looked at her askance. "What bet?" 

 

"The time we went racing in the winter, near the lake. I won the race, fair and square and you have to honor your oath. Please Tony, please." She pleaded.

 

His gaze softened. "All right, Pepper, let's open the drapes."

 

They did so and put off the lamp. Just as Pepper predicted, the salon was now bathed in bright, clear, moonlight, giving it an ethereal, other-worldly feeling. She demurely glanced at Tony, who staring at her in awe. He seemed to be transfixed by the sight of her in the moonlight. 

 

She took his hand and gently led him to the center of the salon. He was still staring at her and she smiled serenely at him.

 

"Tony, is there something on my face?"

 

Then it was Pepper's turn to stare as Tony began to recite fervently, looking deep into her eyes:

_'Bathed in moonlight, fair of face_

_The Lady walks with languid grace._

_The endless visage of stars and skies_

_Shine brightly in her cerulean eyes,_

_Her each step on the ground_

_Poetry in motion_

_Even flowers kneel to her_

_In abject devotion.'_

 

Pepper was speechless. Tony stood in front of her solemnly, clasped her hand in his warm one and placed the other hand on her hip. Then he cleared his throat.

 

"Someone mentioned they would be providing the music..." He smirked at her, clearly pleased to see her stunned. 

 

Pepper shook her herself mentally, placed her hand on Tony's shoulder and started to hum, slowly first, as Tony looked at his feet. Then she started to sing.

 

X----------------------------X-----------------------------X

 

The dragon advised _Anthony, Be calm, be collected. You have danced before right? Just put one step in front of the other._

 

_I hope my palms aren't sweaty. Hers feel so soft and cool. I hope I'm not sweating visibly. Am I? Stop thinking Tony, focus on Pepper. Do not step on her toes, concentrate! And don't look at your feet!_

 

He looked at Pepper who was singing in a low tone.

 

> 'Once upon a dream.'

 

"Pepper", he said, "Sing louder please."

 

She started to sing loudly in a clear, sweet, melodious tone. And Tony began to move, moving her with him.

 

 

> 'I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream
> 
> I know you, that look in your eyes is so...'

she paused and he saw her eyes sparkle,

> 'familiar a gleam.'
> 
>  

She was so light in his arms, like a feather. They were nearly equal in height and he could feel her soft hair lightly touch his cheek. Her hip felt soft and warm under his palm. He was trying to be a gentleman and not stare at her slender, graceful form, outlined beautifully through her white overcoat. 

 

> 'And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem'

>  

_Her eyes are so deep, deep, blue, up close. I wish I could drown in their depths. And those freckles. Charmingly dotting her nose and her collarbone._

 

He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the scent of her, lilies and vanilla and woman. 

 

_Pepper, Pepper, Pepper,_ his heart began to thrum in tune with her melody. 

 

X-------------------------------X-------------------------------X

 

Pepper was struggling to do multiple things at the same time. She wanted to sing, she knew the words very well. She knew how to dance and she could do both at the same time. She was used to dancing with herself, with no music, except for her own voice.

 

But the man in her arms, twirling her gently, broad frame illuminated in the white, bright moonlight, was making it difficult to concentrate. His grip was so firm and warm. She could feel the calluses on his fingers, the warmth emanating from his solid, male body at a decent distance from hers. His breath was warm on her cheek. She could see the green flecks in his liquid, chocolate brown eyes, twinkling at her. 

 

_Why is he looking at me mischievously? Oh darn it, I've stopped singing._

 

"For a man who protested so much to dance, you are a very good dancer." She said, trying to distract him. "You haven't stepped on my toes once."

 

He blinked at that and smiled pensively. "I learnt how to dance from my mother. She would lead and I would follow until I became tall enough to lead. Every time I came home from my studies abroad, she and I would come here and dance together for hours. And just like you, she would sing beautifully and we would twirl in time to her tune. We didn't need music."

 

He seemed lost in memories, his movements slowing slightly but Pepper kept moving, unwilling to disturb his musings. 

 

"She was the perfect lady. She loved dancing and music and she loved teaching it. She was so patient with me, I was so clumsy at times. And with my father..." he trailed off here, his eyes darkening with sadness. "My father was rarely at home. But when he did visit, he and my mother would come to this salon at night and dance together, in the moonlight. I used to secretly watch them from the doorway."

 

He came to a complete stop and she gently took the lead then, encouraging him to keep moving. 

 

She spoke. "My earliest memory of dancing was with my father. He would lift me in the air and twirl me around."

 

She smiled at the memory. Her father, she always remembered him laughing, happy, holding her close, smelling of nutmeg and saffron. 

 

"After he... passed on, my mother wouldn't dance any more. She couldn't bear to. So I would dance with a number of imaginary partners, all by myself."

 

They both looked pensively at each other for a minute, united by a common sadness, the loss of parents. 

 

Tony broke the silence, saying "Say Pepper, you mentioned that you won the bet and I had to do anything you asked..."

 

She nodded, pursing her lips to stop her smile.

 

He thoughtfully stared at her. "I now recall, that I won said bet and so you had to do anything I asked. You cheated!"

 

She couldn't help but laugh at his mock-chagrined expression. "Fooled you, Tony. Never mind, next time for sure, I will do what you ask."

 

He said "Start singing the song again, I will join in. How do the words go?"

 

She started to sing again, slowly, to encourage him to say the lines with her.

 

> 'I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream
> 
> I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam.'

 

They twirled once magically.

 

> 'And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem'
> 
>  

His deep voice was singing with her, slightly hesitant but that was to be expected because he did not know the words. 

 

> 'But if I know you, I know what you'll do'

 

He pulled her closer then, his jaw brushing her forehead. She was flush against his body. She could feel herself soften against his hard frame. 

 

She faltered and then softly continued, laying her head on his shoulder and wound her hands around his neck. It seemed right. 

 

> 'You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream'

 

He wasn't singing with her anymore, she could feel him stiffen and then relax against her. He sighed deeply.

>  
> 
> 'But if I know you, I know what you'll do
> 
> You'll love me at once
> 
> The way you did once upon a dream'

 

She trailed off, humming and they swayed in place together, each unwilling to end the dance. She still rested her head on his shoulder. And gently touched his hair between her fingertips.

 

_Aland and the others be damned. It feels so right to be in Tony's arms. I feel at peace around him. I know this man and I count myself blessed for that._

 

She straightened and looked at Tony. He was looking at her lips, then he slowly dragged his gaze up to her eyes. The look in his eyes, made her flush. They weren't moving anymore, just standing still, pressed to each other. She slowly swiped her tongue along her bottom lip reflexively. Tony followed the movement with his eyes. 

 

She didn't think, she slowly moved her head closer and closer, lowering her lashes, moving her lips closer to his. She could hear her heart in her ears. _I want his kiss. This is not gratitude, this is my want, my need, I need his lips on mine..._

 

And the salon door slammed open with a bang.

 

Pepper sprang backwards from Tony, who remained where he was, struck still by shock. The harsh light of a lamp was shone into the salon, the lamp held by Jarvis, armed with the fireplace poker.

 

"My lord! Lady Pepper! I saw that the East Wing door was open and I thought someone had broken in! I'm so sorry!"

 

Both Tony and Pepper laughed out of sheer nervousness.

 

"Shit, Jarvis, you scared us!" Tony exclaimed jocularly.

 

Pepper tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. She felt irrationally irritated at being interrupted.

 

_It isn't Jarvis's fault. He didn't storm in to stop you from kissing Tony. Today, it just wasn't meant to happen today._

 

She smoothed her expression and followed Tony and Jarvis out of the salon. Jarvis was still talking about intruders but Tony took Pepper's hand as they walked through the damp pathway. He looked at her, sort of sadly, as if even he regretted the interruption. She sighed and caught his hand tightly. 


	11. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter marks the end of the Iron Knight's first adventure with Pepper.
> 
> Please comment, good, bad, ugly, I'm ready for it but the silence is killing me.
> 
> Once again and always, thank you for reading!

It was a cold dark day in the land of Cumbria. A day like every other day, for past 6 months. The passing of time made no difference to its mindless subjects. 

 

The Captain rode into the eerily, silent, empty castle. Not a sound was to be heard. Nothing stirred.

 

Even the large oak tree at the center of the courtyard, which had been around since the castle's creation, had withered and dried.

 

The Captain dismounted slowly and stabled his horse. He limped to the throne room. All traces of civilized life had been removed from the castle. The walls were bare and the corridors bereft of any ornaments. The kitchen was silent and dusty. 

 

In the large, throne room, the Captain stood at a safe distance from the throne, which was shrouded in darkness.  

 

He knelt on one knee. "My liege, I have come from Loranthia. The rumors were true. The Iron Knight protects the people of the land." 

 

"How does he fare? Is he a worthy opponent?" said a deep voice from the shadows.

 

Another voice hissed, a serpentine malevolent whisper. " _Does he have the flame? Is he strong?_ ". 

 

The Captain answered "He has the flame and uses the armor. He is a fine warrior. He has managed to secure the affection of the people in the area. And yes, he is a worthy opponent, he destroyed most of my men. Then again he did have some help."

 

"Help!" " _Help?!_ " said the voices in tandem.  

 

"Yes, my lord, a red-haired squire. A youngling of sorts. He and the Knight work as a team."

 

The Captain was shocked as the voices began to laugh maniacally, one human, one ... definitely not human.

 

Then the human one said "Oh, this is amusing. Both of my quarries are working together. Fate is making this easy for us, don't you agree?"

 

The second voice hissed sinisterly " _Yesssssss, so much easier when they are both together and we can tear them apart. The man is emotional, we saw that with Yin Sen. Using the girl will make him weak._ "

 

The human voice said, "No, no, its the other way around. He's emotional, yes but we use him to break the girl. She is the stronger of the two. In any case we are splitting hairs. Captain?"

 

The Captain saluted smartly.

 

"Patch yourself up. I will arrange for another troop of soldiers for you. Move to the lands of Zornia. Set up camp there. A great one will be born there soon." 

 

The Captain growled, "What of the Iron Knight and his squire? You are just going to let them be?" 

 

He jumped back nervously when three eyes began to glow from the darkness of the throne. Two were close together and were almond shaped with blue pupils. The third... the third was a huge, throbbing eye with a triangular, ruby red pupil. It had a thick, scaly, black rim. It blinked at him slowly and then contracted. 

 

The Captain felt his chest began to constrict. 

 

" _They will get what's coming to them. Patience, Captain, do not show our hand. We can take back what we have so generously gifted to you._ " said the serpentine voice slowly, slitheringly.

 

The human voice said sternly, "Go forth and do as we command. We will send orders when you have established a base."

 

The Captain turned and nearly ran out of the room as the two voices began to whisper loudly to each other in an ungodly tongue. 

 


End file.
